Lt. Col. Bryce Turner, Thunderbird 6/Opposing Solo Pilot to the U.S. Air Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds," and his maintainers spoke to Notre Dame Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets and midshipmen about what it means to be a Thunderbird at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Aug. 28, 2026.
During the presentation, Turner and his crew spoke about the differences in flying normally and as a Thunderbird, emphasizing formation safety through consistent training and blind trust.
“Blind trust, that's our motto,” stated Turner. “We were in Chicago and out of my peripheral area there were buildings whipping by. But if I look to see if I’m going to hit a building, I might hit the jet next to me. I need to trust that my teammates aren’t going to crash, and they need to trust me not to crash either.”
The Thunderbirds fly their jets in extremely close formations, often mere inches apart. The lead pilot flies upside-down and when paired with their fellow pilots, they perform aerial maneuvers that look like near misses.
“My favorite part about today has definitely been learning about the fighter jets and the Thunderbirds,” said Midshipman Mitch Simmons, attached to the Notre Dame Naval ROTC. “Learning about the team atmosphere and the trust they all share, I just love that.”
Despite having to prepare for the upcoming Grissom Air and Space Expo, Turner and his crew still came out to influence the next generation of servicemen and women. After the presentation concluded, the floor was opened up for questioning, where cadets and midshipmen had the opportunity to ask about the various experiences Turner and his crew had.
While not everyone is training to become a pilot, each student was able to learn valuable information about what it means to be in the Armed Forces.
“Seeing cadets from every branch come together to learn from the Thunderbirds is really inspiring,” said Cadet Caitlin Sheeran, attached to Notre Dame’s Air Force ROTC program, Detachment 225, as the Cadet Wing Commander. “Taking time to learn about how the trust and teamwork we emphasize in our training contribute to mission success during the show makes every day that we show up feel more meaningful.”